Device for hot-line washing of insulators

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR HOT-LINE WASHING OF INSULATORS IN WHICH A ROTARY DRUM WHICH IS ROTATED BY THE REACTION FORCE OF THE JET EJECTED THROUGH A NOZZLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SPRING WHICH MAY COUNTERBLANCE THE REACTION FORCE, THEREBY CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF THE NOZZLE BY THE VARIATION OF THE PRESSURE OF THE JET. THE DEVICE IS SIMPLE IN CONSTRUCTION AND INEXPENSIVE TO MANUFACTURE AND CAN WASH THE INSULATORS LOCATED HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND OR AT SUCH A PLACE WHICH IS NOT ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT DANGER, THUS ELIMATING THE FAULTS DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE SURFACES OF THE INSULATORS SUCH AS FLASHOVERS, CORONA DISCHARGES, OBSTACLES TO RADIO WAVES, ETC.

Sept. 20, 19 I KAiuyum SATQ ETI'AL 3,606,172

- DEVICE FOR HOT-LINE WASHING 0F INSULATORS Filed Aug. 28, 1969 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. la o 7 4 /0b 5 r MY /7a I g3 /90 a. I 23 g 1 am (7 ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1971 KAZUYUK| s o ETAL 3,606,172

' DEVICE FOR HOT-LINE WASHING'OF INSULATORS Filed Aug. 28, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS mm yu K t snro and KeNJ]? KAWA II g j' ,(m-KdLL 4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,606,172 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 rm. (:1. Bosh /08 U.S. Cl. 239-587 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for hot-line washing of insulators in which a rotary drum which is rotated by the reaction force of the jet ejected through a nozzle is associated with a spring which may counterbalance the reaction force, thereby controlling the direction of the nozzle by the variation of the pressure of the jet. The device is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and can wash the insulators located high above the ground or at such a place which is not accessible without danger, thus eliminating the faults due to the contamination of the surfaces of the insulators such as fiashovers, corona discharges, obstacles to radio waves, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a device for hot-line washing of insulators and more particularly a device for hot-line washing of insulators of the type in which the direction of a nozzle ejecting the washing water is varied in a vertical plane, thereby washing the insulators in the hotline state.

What is meant by hot-line here is that state in which voltage is being applied on electric equipment and lines concerned.

Description of the prior art The transmission lines running along the sea coast, in the areas suffering from air pollution by smoke from factories or along the highways over which are spread calcium chloride or the like in winter in order to prevent the highways from being frozen tend to have their insulators stained or contaminated by salt, dirts, smog, calcium chloride etc. in the atmosphere so that flashovers, corona discharges, obstacles to radio wave, etc. tend to occur frequently. In order to prevent such accidents and faults, generally the jet water is spread by an operator which climbs up the transmission tower or from the extension-ladder truck just as in the case of fire fighting so as to wash the insulators. However, this method has disadvantages in that many operators are required, washing time is long, the operators are exposed to the danger of electric shock, because insulation, or withstanding voltage, of the equipment used happens to be insufficient, the extension-ladder truck can only reach the towers standing upon the flat surfaces and so on. In order to eliminate these disadvantages, there has been proposed a device for hot-line washing of insulators of the type being mounted upon the tower top. In this device, the nozzle is mechanically rotated by a motor; the nozzle using the reaction force of the jet of washing water is coupled to a dash-pot so as to reduce the rotational speed of the nozzle or the nozzle using a hydraulic cylinder, thereby rotating the nozzle. The device using the motor as described above is complicated in construction and expensive to manufacture because a reduction gear and electrical wiring are required in addition to the motor. In. the case of the device using the dash-pot, it

is difficult to maintain the sealing of oil and to prevent the intrusion of air and the variation in viscosity due to the cyclical variation of oil and temperature variation will adversely affect the function of the dash-pot so that the rotational speed of the nozzle will change. Furthermore, the cylinder of the dash-pot must be machined with a high degree of accuracy. In the case of the device using the hydraulic cylinder, the nozzle rotating mechanism in the hydraulic cylinder and the needle valve for controlling the speed of the nozzle tend to be deteriorated by the washing water in some cases so that the control of the nozzle will be adversely affected. Furthermore, the hydraulic cylinder must be machined with much accuracy as in the case of the dash-pot. Thus, the device becomes very expensive and is not suited for practice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for hot-line washing of insulators of the type in which a rotary drum which is rotated by the reaction force of the jet of water ejected from a nozzle is associated with a spring which counterbalances the reaction force, thereby controlling the direction of the nozzle by the variation of the pressure of the jet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the device of the character described to prevent the flashovers and obstacles to radio wave by corona discharges owing to the contamination of the surfaces of the insulators.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for hot-line washing of insulators simple in construction, reliable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and economical in maintenance and repair.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device by which the hot-line washing of insulators may be effected in a simple and well safeguarded manner.

The foregoing objects and other objects as well as the characteristic features of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily understandable by the following description and the appended claims when read in conjunction with accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the device and wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like parts:

FIG. la is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. lb is a side view thereof;

FIG. 2a is a side view with a part in section of another embodiment of the present invention and showing its operation starting position;

FIG. 2b is a view similar to FIG. 20, but showing the nozzle at its uppermost position;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary cross sectional view thereof on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the rotary members or parts of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating a preferred mounting method of the device of the present invention upon a transmission line tower; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view illustrating a preferred relation between the nozzles of the device of the present invention and the insulators to be washed.

In describing the preferred embodiments of the present invention, illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is not, however, to be limited to the specific terms so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1a to 3, a rotary drum 1 is rotatably carried by a shaft 4 which is securely fixed to a base 3 by brackets 2 and the shaft also serves as a water supply pipe. In the portion of the shaft 4 extending through the rotary drum 1 are inlets 5 for introducing the 'water into the drum 1 and O-rings 6 are fitted water-tightly between the rotary drum 1.

A water discharge pipe 7 is fixed to the rotary drum 1, and a nozzle 8 is mounted upon the forward end of the discharge pipe 7, in such a direction that the rotary drum 1 may be caused to rotate by the reaction force of the jet ejected through the nozzle 8. Preferably, a balance weight 9 is fixed to the rotary drum 1 so that the moment of the pipe 7 and the nozzle 8 may be made in equilibrium with that of the balance weight 9 and that the center of gravity of the whole assembly including the rotary drum 1, the nozzle 8, the pipe 7 and the balance weight 9 may substantially coincide with the axis of the shaft 4. As described above it is preferable in practice to provide this balance weight 9, but it will be understood that the present invention may be used without the use of the balance weight 9. Furthermore, the number of the balance weights is not limited to one as in the case of the embodiment shown, but any desired number of balance weights may be used as needs demand.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, one end of a helical spring 11a surrounding the shaft 4 is securely fixed to one side surface of the rotary drum 1 by means of a spring stop a the other end thereof, to a spring retainer 12 through a spring stop 10b. This spring retainer 12 is rotated in the direction so as to impart the torsional moment to the spring 11b and is held in stationar position to the shaft 4 by means of a locking bolt 13 so that the rotary drum 1 which is stopped by the engagement of its pipe 7 with a stopper 14 may normally have the torsional moment.

In the case of the second preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, an eccentric pivot 15a is on one side surface of the rotary drum 1 and one end of a link 16 is pivotally fixed to the eccentric pivot 15a while the other end is coupled to a sliding rod 17a through a pivot 15b. The sliding rod 17a has a middle square rod portion 17b which consists of two rod portions coupled with each other by means of a threaded sleeve 18 for facilitating the assembly as best shown in FIG. 20. The sliding rod 17a is held in position by means of a pair of upper and lower guides 19a and 1% whose vertical positions may be finely adjusted. A helical spring 11b is loaded between upper and lower retaining plates 20a and 20b disposed beneath the upper guide 19a and above the lower guide 19b respectively in such a manner that the helical spring 11b will not rotate about the axis of the square rod portion 17b formed at the middle portion of the sliding rod 17a; Thus, it will be seen that the retaining plates 20a and 20b are pressed against the guides 19a and 19b respectively by the force of the helical spring 11b when the positions of the guides 19aand 1% are vertically finely adjusted. The retaining plates 20a and 20b are also pressed against the shoulders 21a and 21b formed between the upper and lower ends of the square rod portion 17b and the upper and lower round portions of the sliding rod 17a respectively.

In order to effect the fine vertical adjustment of the positions of the guide 19a and 19b relative to the base 3, a vertical slot 22 is formed in the base 3 as shown in FIG. 20 and the base portions of the guides 19a and 19b are slidably fitted into this slot 22. The guides 19a and 19b may be held in predetermined position by means of stop bolts 23. In order to receive and hold in position the upper and lower ends of the helical spring 11/), the retaining plates 20a and 20b may be provided annular recesses 24a and 24b respectively.

In the device of the present invention with the construction described above, when the pressure of the water to be supplied to the shaft 4 which also serves as the water supply pipe is increased by the operation of the valves and/ or the power source such as a pump, the rotary drum 1 is caused to rotate about the axis of the shaft 4 in the clockwise direction by the reaction force of the jet ejected through the nozzle 8.

In the case of the first preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. la and 1b, the helical spring 11a is so twisted that the rotary drum may not be rotated until the reaction force of the jet reaches a predetermined value. Therefore, when the reaction force of the jet overcomes the torsional moment, the rotary drum 1 is caused to rotate so that the jets ejected through. the nozzles 8 can wash uniformly the strings of insulators equipped on a tower 25 from one to the other end.

In the case of the second preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2a to 2c,'the spring 11b is previously compressed so as to stop the rotation of the rotary drum in the clockwise direction until the reaction force of the jet reaches a predetermined value. When the reaction force of the jet overcomes this compressive force, the rotary drum 1 is caused to rotate as shown in FIG. 2b and the eccentric pivot 15a is lifted so that the sliding rod 17a (including its square rod portion 17b) is raised through the link 16 connected to the eccentric pivot 15a, thereby compressing the helical spring 11b. Thus the rotary drum 1 may be permitted to rotate through an angle at which the compressive force is made in equilibrium with the reaction force of the jet. Thereafter, the pressure of the water to be supplied to the shaft 4 is gradually increased by the operation of the valve and/ or the power source such as the pump, the rotary drum 1 is further rotated as the pressure is increased while the sliding rod 17a is raised, and the helical spring 11b is further compressed as the lower retaining plate 20b is raised. Thus, the direction of the nozzle 8 is varied accordingly so that the strings of insulators 26 may be uniformly washed as in the case of the first embodiment.

Upon completion of washing, the supply of the water underpressure may be stopped so that the reaction force of the jet will not be produced. Thus, the helical springs 11a and 1112 which are exerted with the torsional moment and the compressive force respectively are released so that the rotary drum 1 may be returned to its normal position. 1

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the pipe 7 is stopped by the stopper 14. InVFIG. 1a, only one nozzle is illustrated while in FIG. 5, five nozzles are illustrated, but it will be understood that the number of nozzles may be increased or reduced as needed and more particularly depending upon the number of strings of insulators.

As a modification of the. present invention, a spring may be interposed between the water discharge pipe 7, the nozzle 8 or the balance weight 9 and the base 3.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the helical spring to which is exerted the torsional moment or the compressive force suflicient enough to counterbalance the jet reaction force can control the direction of the nozzle as the pressure of the jet is varied, so that the strings of insulators may be washed from one end to the other end thereof. The device of the present invention is simple in construction, reliable and safeguarded in operation and inexpensive to manufacture. Even if a maintenance truck or the like cannot be accessible to the tower, a pump may be carried as close to the tower as possible and a hose from this pump may be connected to a pipe or the like of the tower so that washing the insulators of the tower can be carried out easily through the device of the present invention. It will be also manifest that the present invention can eliminate all the defects and disadvantages encountered in the conventional device.

The present invention has been so far described with particular reference to preferred illustrative embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for hot-line washing of insulators comprising a rotary drum rotatably mounted on a stationary member located near said insulators, at least one nozzle fixedly mounted on said drum for ejecting a fluid jet having a reaction force and rotating said drum by the reaction force of the jet, a spring provided between said drum and said stationary member for counterbalancing the jet reaction force, and means for adjusting the pressure of said jet thereby controlling the direction of said nozzle.

2. A device for hot-line washing of insulators comprismg i a rotary drum rotatably carried by a shaft which also serves as a water supply pipe,

a water discharge pipe connected to said rotary drum,

at least one nozzle mounted upon said water discharge a helical spring surrounding said shaft, and one end of said spring being fixedly secured to said rotary drum,

a spring retainer for securely fixing the other end of said spring to said shaft, and

stopper means for receiving said water discharge pipe,

thereby stopping stationarily said rotary drum, said stopper means being associated with said spring retainer so as to previously impart the torsional moment to said spring prior to the rotation of said rotary drum.

3. A device for hot-line washing of insulators comprising a rotary drum rotatably carried by a shaft which also serves as a water supply pipe,

a water discharge pipe connected to said rotary drum,

at least one nozzle mounted upon said water discharge at least one balance weight secured to said rotary drum,

a helical spring surrounding said shaft, one end of said spring being fixedly secured to said rotary drum,

a spring retainer for securely fixing the other end of said spring to said shaft, and

stopper means for receiving said water discharge pipe thereby stopping stationarily said rotary drum, said stopper means being associated with said spring retainer so as to previously impart the torsional moment to said spring prior to the rotation of said rotary drum.

4. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 3 wherein the number of said balance weights is one.

5. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 3 wherein the moment of said balance weight is made in equilibrium with those of said water discharge pipe and said nozzle.

6. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 4 wherein the moment of said balance weight is made in equilibrium with those of said water discharge pipe and said nozzle.

. 7. A device for hot-line washing of insulators comprising a rotary drum rotatably carried by a shaft which also serves as a water supply pipe,

a water discharge pipe connected to said rotary drum,

at least one nozzle mounted upon said water discharge an eccentric pivot on one said surface of said rotary drum,

a link whose one end is pivotally fixed to said eccentric pivot,

a sliding rod whose one end is pivotally connected to the other end of said link through a pivot,

a pair of upper and lower guides which are attached to a base of said device for vertical fine adjustment and which hold in position said sliding rod,

a pair of upper and lower retaining plates which are unrotatably fitted over a square rod portion formed at the middle portion of said sliding rod and be neath and above said upper and lower guides respectively for holding between said pair of retaining plates a helical spring under compression, and

a pair of shoulders formed on the upper and lower ends of said square rod portion of said sliding rod and the upper and lower rounded portions thereof respectively being adapted to receive said pair of retaining plates so as to be pressed against said shoulders respectively.

8. A device for hot-line washing of insulators comprisa rotary drum rotatably carried by shaft which also serves as a water supply pipe,

a water discharge pipe connected to said rotary drum,

at least one nozzle mounted upon said water discharge at least one balance weight secured to said rotary drum,

an eccentric pivot on one side surface of said rotary drum,

a link whose one end is pivotally fixed to said eccentric pivot,

a sliding rod Whose end is pivotally connected to the other end of said link through a pivot.

a pair of upper and lower guides which are attached to a base of said device for vertical fine adjustment and which hold in position said sliding rod,

a pair of upper and lower retaining plates which are unrotatably fitted over a square rod portion formed at the middle portion of said sliding rod and beneath and above said upper and lower guides respectively for holding between said pair of retaining plates a helical spring under compression, and

a pair of shoulders formed on the upper and lower ends of said square rod portion of said sliding rod and the upper and lower rounded portions thereof respectively being adapted to receive said pair of retaining plates so as to be pressed against said shoulders respectively.

9. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 8 wherein the number of said balance weights is more than one.

10. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 8 wherein the moment of said balance weight is made in equilibrium with those of said water discharge pipe and said nozzle.

11. A device for hot-line washing of insulators according to claim 9 wherein the moment of said balance weight is made in equilibrium with those of said water discharge pipe and said nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982 2/1841 Barrett 234-587 2,501,639 3/1950 Warren 239587 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,815 6/1931 Germany 239-101 897,276 3/1954 Germany l74-139 1,173,008 9/1963 Germany 174-139 M. HENSON WOOD, J 11., Primary Examiner R. W. THIEME, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

